The present invention relates to a cooling structure and a display apparatus containing the cooling structure. In particular, this invention relates to a heat radiating structure for use with a plasma display apparatus to prevent a temperature rise therein.
A plasma display apparatus comprises a pair of substrate plates (disposed on front and rear sides) which are arranged to face each other with an electric discharge space formed therebetween, a plurality of row electrodes and a plurality of column electrodes which are provided on the inner surface of these substrate plates. The row electrodes are arranged orthogonal to the column electrodes so that a plurality of intersections are formed, thereby forming a plurality of discharge cells.
Since a plasma display apparatus will generate a considerable amount of heat from its surface during its light emission, it is required to be equipped with a cooling structure having a sufficient heat radiating effect.
Usually, the considerable amount of heat is generated from the surface of the rear side substrate plate mounting a power source circuit and a display driving circuit. The heat is then discharged outwardly by means of a cooling fan. However, since the cooling fan requires a relatively large space when it is to be installed within the plasma display, it is difficult to manufacture a plasma display with a small thickness.
In order to solve the above problem, there has been suggested an improved cooling structure shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which is compact in size but has an increased cooling effect.
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a plasma display apparatus comprises a plasma display panel 1 (hereinafter referred to as PDP) including two glass substrate plates, one of which forms a front substrate plate 1A and the other forms a rear substrate plate 1B. An electrically discharge space is formed between the front and rear substrate plates 1A and 1B. A circuit board 2 mounting a driving circuit is provided on the PDP 1 through a chassis structure 3.
The chassis structure 3 comprises a plurality of longitudinal elongate members 3A and a plurality of lateral elongate members 3B, all of which are made of a metal having a good thermal conductivity, such as an aluminium. The longitudinal elongate members 3A and the lateral elongate members 3B are so arranged that a grillwork structure is formed in a manner as shown in the drawing. Here, the PDP 1 and the circuit board 2 are electrically connected with each other through a flexible cable 4, while the chassis structure 3 and PDP 1 are firmly fixed with each other through a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tapes 5.
Here, the chassis structure 3 is formed to provide the PDP 1 with a sufficient strength, and such a strength can be increased by increasing the thickness of the longitudinal and lateral elongate members 3A, 3B. This, however, will undesirably increase the weight of the PDP 1 and also make difficult the assembling operation for producing the grillwork structure.
However, even if the desired strength (for the PDP 1) can be increased by increasing the thickness of the longitudinal and lateral elongated members 3A, 3B, it is difficult to ensure a sufficiently large space for heat radiation.
As a result, the structure shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 not only has a problem of incurring a high cost in the assembling operation for producing the grillwork structure, but also a problem of not being able to obtain a sufficient cooling effect.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cooling structure and a plasma display containing the improved cooling structure which can provide sufficient strength for supporting the plasma display, reduce the production cost, and obtain a sufficient heat radiating effect, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems peculiar to the above-discussed prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a cooling structure for cooling an exothermic panel such as a plasma display panel by releasing heat therefrom, comprising: a chassis structure for holding the exothermic panel; a plurality of circuit board connecting portions, a plurality of heat radiating fins and a plurality of side frames, which are all integrally formed with the chassis structure on one side thereof. Specifically, at least one sort of the circuit board connecting portions, the heat radiating fins and the side frames are formed in a hollow structure.
In one aspect of the present invention, the circuit board connecting portions, the heat radiating fins and the side frames are formed as protruding in one direction perpendicular to the chassis structure.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus comprising: a plasma display panel; a circuit board mounting a driving circuit for driving the plasma display panel; and a chassis structure for combining with the plasma display panel on one side thereof and for mounting the circuit board on the other. Specifically, the chassis structure includes on said other side thereof a plurality of circuit board connecting portions, a plurality of heat radiating fins and a plurality of side frames. In particular, the circuit board connecting portions, the heat radiating fins and the side frames are integrally formed with the chassis structure and at least one sort of them are formed in a hollow structure.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the one side of the chassis structure is flat over the entire surface thereof, so as to be easily combinable with the plasma display panel.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, each of the circuit board connecting portions includes an elongated air passage, the heat radiating fins are connected with elongated air passages, each of the side frames includes an elongated air passage.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.